Electric regulating and hand-setting mechanism for clocks



(No Model.)

'W. s SCALES.

ELECTRIC REGULATING AND HAND SETTING MECHANISM FQR CLOCKS. No. 892,230. I Patented Nov. 6. 1888.

N PETERS. Phm-Lflhc n her, Washingtcm D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM S. SCALES, OF SOMEBVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGXOR TO THE SYNGHRONOUS TIME COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

ELECTRIC REGULATING AND HAND-SETTING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,230, dated November 6, 1888. Application filed Xovcmber 18, 1887. Serial Xe. 255.45 1. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLL-mr S. SCALES, of Somerville, county 01" Middlesex, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in 5 Synchronizing Mechanismsfor Clocks,ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has forits object to construct a system for synchronizing clocks which is adapted for use upon district signaling-wires; and it consists in the combination, with an electric circuit containing several clocks, each provided with a regulating device for the regulating memberthereof, ofa circuit-controlling device for rendering the said circuit operative to permit an impulse to be transmitted to the several clocks to be regulated, and to transmit the impulse, and a masterclock for effecting the operation of the said controlling device. The clocks, when included in district signaling or telephone lines, or in lines employed for other purposes than time, are normally cut out by means controlled by the trainwork of the clock, so that the transmission of signals or telephonic communications can have no effect upon the clock, the signaling-circuit being normally a closed circuit; and it being desirable to have anopen circuit for thetransmission of the time-impulse, a circuit-controlling device is employed to open the line and thereafter transmit the time-impulse, the said circuit-controlling device being governed by the master-clock.

The invention also consists in details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully pointed out. Figure 1 shows in front elevation a portion ofapendulum clock provided with controlling or regulating devices for the regulating memberthereofiand also with hand-setting devices; Fig. 2, the clock, to be described; Fig. 3, a top view of the clock shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a diagram of a circuit containing the clock to be regulated, the master-clock, and the circuitv controlling device operated by the masterclock.

a detail showing the cutout device of Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 8, he frame a is of any suitable construction to support the usual train or wheel-work of a clock, the handarbor a only of which is herein shown. A disk, Z), is mounted to revolve frictionally upon the shaft or arbor a, it having the usual sleeve or hub carrying the minute-hand. The periphery of the disk I) has a li shaped notch, b, which receives at stated times a pin, 2, at tached to or projecting laterally from an ear,

3, secured to an arm or bar, 0, fixed to a shaft, c, carrying the armaturebar c of an electromagnet, c. The armature-bar c is normally held retracted by gravity, and the pin 2 normally lies out of the path of movement of the disk I); but when said magnet is energized the 6 armature-bar, being attracted, throws thcpin 2 into engagement with the disk, and if the said disk is not in its correct position at such time-namely, in a position whereby the pin 2 enters the deepest part of the notch without moving the diskthcn the pin will strike one or the other inclined side of the notch and thereby move the said disk. This forms essentially the hand-setting mechanism.

The arm or bar 0 has, preferably at its outer end, an ear, (Z, provided with two pins, 4, one above the other, to receive between them the outer end of a lever, c, pivoted at e to one arm, as c of abell-crank lever, the other arm, a of said bell-crank lever having a pin, 5, which enters a slot or notch cut in one end of a pivoted regulatinglever, t. The leverthas two pins, 6, between which the usual pendulum,p, is suspended. The lever 6 near its outer end has an ear, 7, having a V-shaped 8 notch, and a stud or arm, 8, (sec dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2,) is fixed to the shaft a, which, provided it be in true position, enters the notch of the car? when the latter is depressed, it being understood that the said ear 7 and its arm 6 are lowered with the bar 0, being connected one with the other. \Vhcn the ear 7 falls, if the regulating member 1) is vibrating correctly, the arm 8 will have arrived at such a position as to enter the deepest portion of 5 the notch of said car without moving it; but if the clock has gained or lost ever so little, then the arm 8 will strike one or the other in clined side of the \l-shaped notch of the ear 7 and move said ear and its arm 0 in one or the other direction longitudinally, thereby moving the bell-crank lever on its pivot c and raising orlowering the regulating-lever t to change the vibrating length of the pendulum.

The lever c and means for moving it and the lever tand its connections with the lever 0 represent one preferable form of regulating mechanism for the regulating member of the clock, which is governed as to its operation by the train of the clock; and I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form, as it may be modified in many particulars and yet retain the essential feature of this inventionnamely, controlling or regulating the relative movements of the pendulum by the clock-train.

It is designed to have the magnet effect the operation of the controlling or regulating mechanism and hand-setting devices once each twelve hours, and to effect this result a master-clock is employed, and also 'a circuit-controlling device, to be described.

The master-clock (see Fig. 4) contains a scape-wheel, f, to the hub or shaft of which is attached an arm, f and also containing a pallet, j, to which is attached a detent, f insulated from it. The outer end of the arm f is of sufficient width and is arranged to come beneath and to be struck by thedetentf twice every minute-via, on two successive oscillations of the pendulum-and the said arm f and the detentf, being included in the local circuit 20, operate to close the said circuit at such point twice each minute. The masterclock also contains a circuit-wheel, f adapted to rotate once an hour, and said circuit-wheel has an arm, f adapted to engage a contactspring, f, once during each revolution of the wheel, and to remain in electrical engagement two minutes, so that during each hour the circuit 20 will he closed by the circuit-wheelf two minutes, and during each minute will be closed by the detentf twiceviz., on two successive secondsthereby effecting during each hour four impulses.

An electro-magnet, m, is included in the circuit 20, the armature m of which is attached to one end of a bent lever, a, pivoted at a to a post or standard, the opposite end of said lever carrying a spring-controlled push-pawl, a, to engage the teeth of a wheel, a, fixed to a shaft, it, having its bearings in suitable posts or standards. A contact-arm, a", is attached to the lover a, but insulated therefrom, and the co-operating contact-arm a is fixed to the shaft it. Another arm, of, is fixed to the shaft 11/, composed partly of conducting material and partly of insulating material, and two contact-springs, a a, are attached to an insulatiug-block, a said springs a a co-operating, respectively, with the insulating and conducting portions of the arm M. The two contact springs a a normally rest upon a platinum block, a", and are included in a circuit, 50,

containing a battery, B, thereby maintaining said circuit normally closed. The said contactsprings a a are lifted at stated times by the arm n from the block a, thereby opening the circuit 50, and when lifted one of the springs, as a bears against a contact-point, a. The contact-point a and the contact-arm n are iir cluded in a normally-open circuit, 60, The wheel a has forty-eight teeth, and,as the mag net in is energized four times each hour, the said wheel will be moved four teeth each hour, so that the shaft 11/ will make one complete revolution each twelve hours.

\Vith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, the time has arrived for sending an impulse over the main circuit 50, and the operation of the parts is as follows: The circuit-wheel f 5 hasjust engaged its contact-springfhand while in such engagement the detent f strikes the arm f twice successively during the first minute, thereby moving the wheel a two teeth, causing the arm n to lift the contact-springs a a from the block a", closing the spring a against the contact-point a, so that the circuit 50 includes the spring a contact-point a, circuit 60, armor at one sidc,and the spring a", arm a and shaft a" on the other side, and during the second minute the contactf strikes the arm f twice successively, again causing the wheel a to be moved two teeth, the movement of the said wheel caused by the first impulse of the second minute throwing the arm n in contact with the arm 1?, thereby closing the circuit 50, and the movement of the said wheel caused by the second impulse of the second minute throwing the contact-arm n beyond the arm a thereby breaking the circuit 60, which at this time is a part of the main circuit 50, and,as the said contact-armor passes by the arm n, the arm n passes by the springs a 'n, permitting them to resume their normal position.

It will be seen that the circuit 50 has been open for two minutes, or for more than one minute, and during said time an impulse has been transmitted,which energizes the magnet c and effects the operation of the hand-setting mechanism. and the controlling or regulating mechanism of the clock, or it may be several clocks which are included in the circuit.

The circuit 50 is employed as a district-Sig naling circuit, and contains several signalboxes, as D, and a receiving apparatus of any well-known description, as D. To permit the said signaling service to be effectually carried out and not affect the controlling-magnet c of the several clocks,eaeh clock is adapted to be cut out by its own train, the following-described meehanism being employed, viz: The disk b is provided with an insulating-spot, 7 O, and a contact-spring, 75, pivoted to an insulating-block, 7 6, secured to the frame a of the clock, said spring bearing against the disk D, but normally lying out of path of the insulatingspot. Another contact-spring, 77, is attached to an insulating-block, 78, secured. to

the frame, said spring bearing upon the arm a. The circuit 50 normally includes the sprin 75, disk I), and spring 77, while the magnet 0'" isin a shunt, 52. A pin, 90, fixed to a wheel, 91, mounted loosely upona shaft,a, is adapted to make a complete revolution once in twelve h0urs,and said pin during said movement engages the outer end of the spring 75 and moves it upward or outward in position to bear upon the insulated part of the disk 6 at the time that the impulse from the masterclock is being transmitted, to thereby include the magnet c" in the circuit to receive thesaidimpulse, and when the impulse is transmitted, if the clock has gained or lost, the disk I) will not keep its correet position, so that the arm 0 when depressed will be moved in one or the other direction to thereby effect a change in the vibrating length of the pendulum. The insulated spot is of sufficient size to permit the spring to bear upon it, say,two minutes or more, if desired, to include any ordinary irregularity in the clock. The spring 75 is provided with a projection, 79,which is struck by an ear, (I, when the latter is moved downward,to thereby move the spring back to its normal position, and to maintain the interruption of the circuit to keep the magnet 0 included a sufficient length of time to accomplish its work the spring 77, bearing upon the arm 0, interrupts the circuit when the said arm is depressed.

I do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction of master-clock or of controlling devices herein shown, as it is obviousthat the same may be made in various ways and yet accomplish the results herein specified.

I claim- 1. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating or controlling lever for the regulating member of the clock and an operating bar or lever therefor, combined with an arm positively connected with and moved continuously by the clock-train for effecting the movement of said operating bar or lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating or controlling device for the regulating member thereof, and means, as the arm 6, for moving it, combined with an olectrical device for moving the said arm 0 into engagement with a continuously-moving part of the clock-train by which it is moved, caus ing the regulating member of the clock to take a gaining or losing rate relative to its prior performance, substantially as described.

3. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating device for the regulating member of the clock, the operating bar or lever for moving it when said bar or lever is thrown into engagement with a continuously moving part of the clock-train, combined with the hand-setting mechanisnnand the electrical device for throwing both the operating bar or lever employed for moving the regulating de vice and the hand-setting mechanism into operative position, substantially as described.

at. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating mechanism for the regulating member of the clock, it consisting of theregulating-lever, the operating-lever therefor, and the continuously-moving part of the clock train, and the elcetro-magnet for controlling the operation of said operatinglever, combined .with an electric cut-out or switch continuously moved by the train of the clock for automatically cutting the said electro-magnet into and out of circuit atstatcd times, snbstantially as described.

5. In a synchronizingmechanism for clocks, the regulating device for the regulating member, and the arm (2, for moving it, combined with the arm 8, directly connected with and forming a continuously-moving part of the train of the clock, with which the arm 0 cooperates, and with an electromagnetic device for throwing the arm 0 into engagement with the arm 8, substantially as described.

6. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating device for the regulating member, the arm 0, and the arm 8, with which the arm 0 co-opcratcs, combined with the arm 0 and the disk or wheel 'I), with which it co-opcrates, substantially as described.

7. In a synchronizing mechanism for clocks, the regulating device for the regulating member, arm 6, and arm 8, combined with the arm 0, and connecting means for connecting it with the arm 0 and the disk or whcelb,and the electro-magnet for moving the arm 0, substantially as described.

8. In a system of synchronizing clocks, the combination, substantially as described, of a normally-closed electric circuitcontaining-sevoral clocks, and mechanism normally cut out for moving the regulating members thereof, that they may take a gaining or losing rate relative to their prior performance, a circuitcontrolling device for opening the said circuit to introduce a master-clock, and also to trans mit the time impulse, and the nmsterclocl: which governs the operation of said circuitcontrolling device, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISO 

